Several Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses are urging the faithful to contact lawmakers and oppose H.B. 2632, legislation they say would dismantle a key tax-credit scholarship program and jeopardize access to Catholic education for thousands of students.
The bill, advanced by House Democrats, would sunset the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and replace it with a new structure that would add burdensome bureaucracy and cut funding by $102 million, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. The EITC program allows businesses to receive tax credits for contributing to scholarship organizations that help families afford private and religious schools.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference — joined by the dioceses of Allentown, Scranton, and others — warned that the bill would reduce scholarship opportunities, force some Catholic schools to close, and limit families’ access to faith-based education.
“Needy students would see their education interrupted with the closing of several Catholic schools,” the conference said in the statement. “Only the wealthy would have opportunities to select the best educational choice for their child.”
The Diocese of Allentown said more than 4,200 students in its diocese received EITC scholarships last year. Other dioceses, including Altoona-Johnstown, Erie, and Scranton, also reported thousands of student beneficiaries.
Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia said the bill poses a “serious threat” to children and families that would “negatively impact tens of thousands of students” across the state who rely on scholarship programs.
“Parents should have the ability to choose the educational environment that best suits the needs of their children,” he said in a June 23 statement. “I am deeply grateful to those who support EITC and OSTC. These programs are vital, and no one can afford to see them disappear. I urge our elected officials to work for their preservation without reduction in funding levels.”